Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carl Orton on February 23, 2018 at 7:52pm

Makes me glad I bought the AeroLED lights!  Thanks, AeroLEDs!

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 23, 2018 at 7:56pm

I agree, I didn't have try hard at all, one short email, and they were willing to help you guys out, and make contributing fun. I know what Lights I will continue to buy and recommend. I hope other vendors can see what a huge value a small token of appreciation and support can make. Blew me away. Go AeroLED!!!

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 23, 2018 at 8:05pm

New Vendor Recognition Tab - take a look at this tab to view what our super supportive vendors have contributed for the cause of collaboration, and sharing info about our sport. I hope this list gets long too. What a great way to have a positive interaction between active customers and possible future customers, and a few builders will have 1 more thing to bring them to the finish line, while flyers might have new addition for the plane, or in the spirit of this Forum donate or give another builder or flyer a great deal on an item for their plane, like a builder/pilot to builder/pilot sponsorship. All great options and opportunities.

Thanks Everyone involved in this mini project.

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 24, 2018 at 9:38am

What did AeroLED do? Please read, I feel its important.

I hope all the vendors that might be considering contributing to this cause, realize the power of what AeroLED did for me, but I suspect will be recognized by many others, so I feel its worthy of mentioning again. So let me share the story....

• Shared Spreadsheet - (I know its just a stupid spreadsheet John, get over it)So I think of this idea, you know, "Why I am going crazy trying to search for info about what other people are doing with Zenith Aircraft, Engines, Avionics, Performance, Modifications, Updates, you name it." I waste hours just trying to find what vendors to start looking for, or specific info about a part or plane. You put in things like "TOP 10 Aircraft Transponders", did through post after post on our awesome Zenith Forum. I thought to myself, "I know, how about a shared Google sheet, I can do that". I know if will take a lot of my personal time, after all I work full time in IT which is like 50-60 hours a week, I have 2 twin 13 year olds to take care, nuff said, I am a volunteer firefighter 24/7, I am active in my community with the Buckholts Outreach Center, oh and I am trying to build a freakin aircraft in my garage / living room...so I am a little busy, but the time I spend on it won't only be valuable to me, I can do something that can really help not only us Builders and Pilots with our planes, but people just considering it. They can see what you can really do with a Zenith plane. They can see what other pilots/builders are literally flying with, in front of them, in the flight desk with them, and behind them.
• Benefits Beyond What I Thought Of -
  • Communication - "wait a minute", now not only can I see what other guys are using, I can contact them directly through the forum if I need to, and are willing to "Friend" me. I don't have to post an open question, and hope the guys/gals using "AeroLED lights" will notice it and take the time to answer questions about it. I can message them directly.
  • Encouragement and Fun -  you guys/gals that are participating, viewing, and sharing this spreadsheet are awesome. You've had nothing but encouraging, and heart felt ideas, and positive attitudes. That made it easy for me to keep doing more based on your ideas. I couldn't do them all,  but I am on my own time here. I wanted to do something small for my fellow builders and flyers, as a way to say thanks for contributing to the spreadsheet. It had to be a small thanks,  because again I am building aircraft on a modest budget, and their ain't nothing modest about how much a plane cost. Matter of fact building your plane is more expensive then just going and buying a GA aircraft. So I thought, well on this spreadsheet, we are all Zenith, its the common thread. I thought I can afford to squeeze out the money for a T-Shirt about every 50 contributors, as long as no one sells me out to my girlfriend on the forum. Just kidding she, supports my passion, and you guys/gals too. I talked to John Austin mainly to make sure I was braking another Forum rule, I am notorious for that, and not only did he encourage me, as he always does, he suggested I call Zenith and ask them if they would consider donating the shirts. Wow, that is a great idea, and it keeps me out of trouble too.LOL. So I called Zenith, and in 5 minutes I was talking to Sebastien Heintz, and in 3 minutes he agreed to provide T-Shirts, we just had to work on the logistics on how to get the word out. Oh, someone deserves a Big Thank You Here - it did not slip my attention that a man I highly respect and admire, for what he does supporting builders and flyers like I want to, John Austin thank you for making this post Featured on the post. I was honored and humbled by that. I was also floored by the fact I talked to Sebastien, he is kinda my hero for what his family has done to support our passion. Thanks Zenith Aircraft Team for your ongoing support of my project but also all of the builders and flyers on this forum. 
    • Joke 1 - You better love aluminum, you gonna spend a lot of alone time with it, to the point your significant other my question whether you have some strange new fetish or not. I just told her don't worry about it honey, I have had this strange attraction to aircraft all my life. Its started with soda cans.
  • "marketing for vendor" now I don't get nothing but heck from vendors, LOL, just kidding, you know what I mean, I don't get any payment or compensation at all, matter of fact it might cost me a little shipping the prizes to you. Not complaining, I almost didn't leverage this aspect of it for you guys, because I didn't want my ethics questioned or my motivation. I realized this spreadsheet unintentionally was being perspective, current, and past builders / flyers to the info about vendors. Its there regardless, why not point that out to vendors and see if they want to further their marketing in a positive way, by allowing me to give my fellow builders and flyers gifts for them, on their behalf. A lucky builder or flyer will get something they can use on their plane they are flying or building. For builders one thing can be huge, because any money saved can speed up the build, or allow you to do something else you couldn't before, or take that money get an upgrade. It really allows the vendors to say thank you to their loyal customers, and put their money with their (mouth) advertising is, in a fun healthy way, that does nothing but promote the recreation, sport, and passion we all share.
    • Joke 2- Ok, but if Zenith wants to give me a kit plane, or UL Power wants to give me the UL350Si, for doing this awesome spreadsheet, sorry you guys, your on your own LOL.

NOW TO WHY I WROTE THIS: AeroLED

How did John Greiner get AeroLED to contribute over $400 dollars worth of merchandising for free and cover shipping.

Here is the secret, get close to your screen, for this one, I will only share it with my most trusted flyers and builders...

I went on their site, submitted a support ticket explaining our spreadsheet and how I am trying to encourage more participation. Didn't expect to hear from them again. The next day, with no other communication or relationship other than a random guy asking for help, they sent me a clear email offering to contribute what is posted on our post here. I was so floored it literally brought tears eyes. The only relationship or communication I have ever had with AeroLED is when bought 75 feet of the wire you need to hang any leds lights on you wing tips a year ago. I wanted to get the wire in the wings, before I closed them up because it would be hard to do later. I had problems with their web site ironically, that was my fault, I am embarrassed to admin since I am in IT for a living. Their support was outstanding and I all I was buying was about $75 in wire, maybe. I was considering buying another brand of LED Nav/position/strobe lights from another vendor due to cost or make them myself since I have done my own custom electronics for years. Not anymore, I am gonna save the money, and get me some awesome, and clearly good lights, look at the spreadsheet.. its AeroLED, AeroLED, AeroLED.... I would rather spend the money on a quality, pilot and builder proven, product that some inexpensive unproven one. WOW, and WOW AeroLED, look what you did. I am clearly sold. I hope other vendors recognize this.

These simple gestures, can create relationships, that in turn create true trust and loyalty beyond what positive promotion or competing vendor slander can do. I think a few vendors could learn from this.

I will do anything I can to support my fellow Builders and Flyers. Now back to building and keeping the skies full of beautiful Zenith Personally Inspired Creations!!!

Sincerely,

John M. Greiner

N750JG.info

Fellow Builder - Future Flyer - pilot's license

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Permalink Reply by Scott Crew on February 24, 2018 at 3:04pm

Great stuff John, appreciate your hard work. 

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 25, 2018 at 5:37am

Thanks Scott, with encouragement like that, its easy to keep going.

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 24, 2018 at 5:33pm

Nice comment from one of our first winners of the participation prizes... this is a comment based on them contacting Zenith to get there T-Shirt on its way.

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 24, 2018 at 5:48pm

NEW IDEA - Google Mapping Builders Approximate Location and Aircraft Type

Well I am sure everyone has heard of the Father and Son team of Loren and Sam Warner. If you want to see how to build a Zenith CH 750 STOL nearly perfect, IMHO, you can watch it nearly step by step since Sam has posted tons of pictures. Thanks Sam and Loren. So excited to see the how this awesome creation flies being pulled by the powerful Viking 130.

Loren and Sam had a great idea to support us all a bit further. They pondered the idea of finding where the areas of the country, or heck even the world, where their fellow Zenith builders live. We discussed maybe using something like Google maps to identify our fellow builders by Zenith kit type. For example, if you are building a Zenith CH 750 STOL you would be identified by a green dot on the map, if your a Zenith Cruzer a blue dot. You could easily find the builders near you, established a friendship via the Forum, and maybe visit their plane or project if they agree. I can't give any ETA on this yet, I need to review the logistics of actually doing it. 2 ways to get this done, I really only need Zip Codes, I don't want your address period, you can give that out yourself, with a trusted friend relationship on the forum. I just want to give them the general idea of where you live. I am sure everyone knows that if anyone has your tail number, they basically have your address, but just the same, I don't want it on the spreadsheet. I am comfortable just asking for Zip Code as some have suggested. So what I will do is add a field next to your tail number for Zip Code. Supply it if you feel comfortable. I will only share the link to the shared Google map with you guys on the spreadsheet. Matter of fact, I will probably only grant access to those that want access to start the Security project. Because then I can start securing the Spreadsheet better too. I know you can find people on the forum, but you have to take their city and paste in Google Maps and see where they are relative to you. Again its kinda time consuming.

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Permalink Reply by Loren Warner on February 24, 2018 at 7:35pm

John, your making us blush.  Your doing the work, you deserve to take the bows.  Thank you for the compliments, but we're not building any better than most, your just able to see what we're doing because Samuel is using facebook for our builders page.  

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 24, 2018 at 7:47pm

And humble too, even more impressed, LOL

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Permalink Reply by John M Greiner on February 24, 2018 at 6:52pm

Here a pic of the new Shared Map.

Blue = CH750 STOL

Green = CH750 Cruzer

Orange = CH701

Red = CH750 SD - Inspired by Jan's color choice at Viking Aircraft Engines

etc....

If you hover over the plane icon, you will see the builders name and tail number, if they are ok with participating

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Permalink Reply by Scott Crew on February 24, 2018 at 9:00pm

THere is already a Google map setup if you were not aware, here

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@10.6080231,-170.2173824,3z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!6m1!1s1TeOkEN1oKWESbfyw2LDsXniJ3Qw

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